(From top) Sunset on Chilika lake, the Ramchandi temple, tourists at the Sun Temple, children enjoy a camel ride on Puri beach, tourists watch an Olive Ridley turtle near Bhitarkanika and Jirang monastery near Chandragiri in Gajapati district. Pictures by Sanib Mukherjee and Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 8: The state government’s marketing arm for tourism promotion, Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC), has started regular package tours since their monsoon (rath yatra) package last year. After rath yatra, a winter package and now this year’s summer package (till June 30) will definitely give Odisha tourism an edge at a time when many Odia families are opting for foreign trips and their numbers are increasing.

OTDC has touched major destinations this time with Panchalingeswar hills which is a preferred destination for trekkers. One can enjoy quality time on the nature’s lap away from the hustle-bustle of urban life. Right from the Balasore district the next destination is Bhitarkanika, which is famous for the mangroves, crocodiles, spotted deer and sea turtle.

The Chilika visit includes cruise tour. Breakfast, Honeymoon, Somolo and Beacon are not names for any gourmet’s delights in Chilika, but they are beautiful little islands which were developed since the British rule.

Honeymoon Island: Situated in the Rambha Bay near the Sanakuda island, it is 5km from Rambha jetty. It is also known as Barkuda Island. Britishers used this island for picnicking. The water around the island is very clear and turquoise blue. A limbless lizard was discovered here by Annandale and Kemp.

Breakfast Island: This island is located in the Rambha Bay between Badakuda and Somolo Island. It is a pear shaped island and also known as Sanakuda Island. A bungalow was constructed here by the King of Khallikote. Snodgrass, the then collector of Ganjam, used to come to this bungalow quite frequently. The island was full of greenery such as Casupourea ceylanica, a mangrove plant. The vegetation at this moment is in a degraded condition.

Beacon Island: Located 3km from Rambha’s OTDC bungalow, Beacon Island is an architectural marvel with a conical pillar and a small room constructed on a submerged mass of rock in the Rambha Bay near Ghantasila Hill. This was built by Snodgrass, the then collector of Ganjam under the East India Company. The ornamental pillar was constructed to put a light on the top. Spread around the Beacon Island, the water is breathtakingly beautiful.

Somolo and Dumkudi: Situated in the central and southern sectors of the lake, these islands are inundated remnants of the Eastern Ghats. Though rocky, they are rich in flora and fauna. Dolphins are often sighted on the peripheral water of Somolo Island. The backdrop to Somolo is the Khallikote Hill Range.

Birds’ Island: It is situated in the southern sector of Chilika. This is a small hillock with huge exposed hanging rocks. It is 4km away Rambha tourist bungalow and one km away on the eastern side of Ghantasila hill. The granite rocks are the remnants of the Eastern Ghats. Some of the rocks are painted white with the droppings of the birds. Some local birds use the island as perching ground. It is known for its rich algae communities.

Not only the coastal belt, but also the tour package including the beautiful monastery of Jirang near Chandragiri in Gajapati district is the locale for the Tibetan settlement. The Jirang round is connected with Taptapani hot spring and the deer park nearby.

The one-night two days packages are priced between Rs 1,970 and Rs 4,040 and the lowest one is connected to Ramchandi, the tourism hotspot near Sun Temple, in Konark. Besides its religious attraction, the Ramchandi destination is also emerging as a water sports complex with many private players joining in. However, both the morning and evening hours near the sea are the moments to capture.

Regular half-day tours to Sun Temple at Konark, Jagannath Temple and weekend package (every Tuesday) to Tarini are available, but they are priced between Rs 500 and Rs 610 per person. While the one-night two days tours are with travel, stay and food package, the half-day tours are not inclusive of these.

Deepak Bhadra, an IT professional from Calcutta thinks that visiting the destinations in the summer with family or friends is an nice idea. “While many people opting for the exotic foreign destinations in the Southeast Asian countries our own destinations should be explored, but as the basic infrastructure is lacking the tourism department must try to add them and include more destinations in the next package.”

However, chief operating officer of K7 Tours and Travels and tourism package consultant Debasish Mohapatra said: “It is nice that OTDC is now coming up with regular packages, but unlike other states in the country, prices are a little high. If that part is addressed, then more people will be attracted to these package tours.”

TOUR GUIDE

What: Summer package tour by OTDC
Destinations: Panchalingeswar in the east to Jirang in the south one-night-two days format and half-day packages
Includes: Comfortable stay, food and tour guide assistance
Price: Though the tour package is by OTDC pricing seems little on a plus side, needs rethink as response is increasing on every season
Marketing: As inland tourists are heading to other destinations outside Odisha they can be trapped for a booming business
Need: Infrastructure development at interesting destinations needed urgently so that more and more people will opt for the OTDC package